JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
Within the past month, Department of Defense personnel deployed to West Africa as part of a government-wide effort to support humanitarian relief operations in Ebola-stricken African nations.
With all of the attention placed on this effort, family members of deployed Joint Base Langley-Eustis Airmen and Soldiers have displayed concern for their loved ones' health. To alleviate their worries, JBLE medical leaders offered specific information regarding the safety precautions currently in place, and the training undergone prior to deployment.
"We recognize that going to this region is worrisome to some," said U.S. Army Col. Glenda Lock, McDonald Army Health Center commander. "Our Public Health Officers and Environmental Health staff provided deploying personnel with a specific West Africa Medical Threat Briefing, and our Aviation and Readiness Clinic staff worked tirelessly to assure all personnel were in compliance with [U.S. Africa Command] medical standards."
Deploying military personnel and their families were also provided specialized training on EVD and the specific risks associated with the disease, as well as the limitations in transmission so they will know how to protect themselves and their loved ones, she added.
Both commanders stressed the fact that U.S. military personnel will have no part in patient care, and no direct contact with the Ebola-infected populous.
Soldiers and Airmen will provide support in the areas of engineering, by building medical treatment centers, logistics and training for local health care workers to help them better take care of their patients while protecting themselves from possible infection.
"On their daily course of routine, [JBLE personnel] are to be in the hotel or at the worksite and they are not exposed to anyone with Ebola. So, the risk to loved ones is extremely low," U.S. Air Force Col. Wayne Pritt, 633rd Medical Group commander, added.
Because it is likely that 633rd MDG Airmen will be the first DOD contingent to return from Africa, Pritt addressed the need for protective measures to be taken prior to their return.
"There is some concern about what precautions we're going to take with our Air Force and Army personnel," he said. "To make sure they're not infected and don't infect others, the DOD is, as we speak, crafting coordinated tri-service guidelines about what we'll do specifically to monitor and ensure the folks coming back are not Ebola-infected."
According to Lock, the Regional Medical Command in Europe has also developed area-specific Ebola surveillance and response protocols by coordinating with supporting Host Nation hospitals and Public Health Authorities.
"Personnel deploying were advised of the changing nature of Ebola surveillance and made aware of a potential need for sequestering or quarantine for a 21-day period upon re-deployment, but this has not yet been established for the DOD," she added. "[Service members] will not return home until they've been fully evaluated and cleared."
Although, as of right now, there is no exact date of return for the JBLE Service members, the commanders assure families that their loved ones will return as soon as their mission is complete and all necessary health precautions are taken.
For more information about EVD, visit the following websites:
CDC's public webpage:
www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html?s_cid=cdc_homepage_feature_001
US Army Public Health Command's Ebola Virus Disease webpage:
http://phc.amedd.army.mil/topics/discond/diseases/Pages/EbolaVirusDisease.aspx